Mech Spotlight: Locust

[RasaNova]

Yeah, the locust... The spare mech we all start the game with and never use. Or, do we? Did anyone NOT sell it off the first time you were tight on C-Bills? Any successful strategies, tips, loadouts etc for making this little guy work? Please share your buildouts/screenshots/stories here!

All Mech Spotlights:

Centurion
BlackJack
Thunderbolt
Quickdraw
Shadow Hawk
JagerMech
Highlander
Grasshopper
Vindicator
Wolverine
Locust
Catapult
Orion

[Coyote]

Ill start it off positive...
It looks really cool and has the best animations in the game.

[MattStriker]

Originally posted by fireborn:

Ill start it off positive...
It looks really cool and has the best animations in the game.

This, basically. It's one of the best mech designs in terms of visuals in the game.

It's terrible in every other respect because its strategic niche in the lore just doesn't exist in this game, and isn't even really present in the tabletop either.

[Nekonoaijin]

"Twenty tons of death! Probably yours, if you have to pilot it."

[The Pollie]

I used it for a while. But honestly, the moment I picked up a Jenner, the Locust never saw action again. Once I could field four Mediums, the Jenner was made obsolete as well.

For where it lies? The Locust is fast as hell. It doesn't have the tonnage for weapons to make it work shooting most of the time. Even against rear armour it can take multiple turns to have an impact. It's fragile, made of damp paper. If it gets Sensor locked, expect it to die that turn. Always try to have it move last, since even at 15% to-hit, something like an AC/10 or PPC will ruin it.

It works well as a scout and spotter, but so does the Jenner, and it hits noticeably harder.

[L37]

With 3*SL it can actually punch through rear armor on early-game underarmored mechs, or blow up tanks.
The main issue is - single mistake and it is ruined (and not worth repairing) or even dead.

[kaibarnard]

It's fast....

That's it, but you may as well get out and tap the other mecs toe, it has no place on the battlefield

When I see them I groaned, having to kill them while they chippe doff ignorable damage but they could occasionally open up a side to a bigger attack

An annoying fly you swat, and yes you upgrade to anything else ASAP and never use the darn thing

[Bunks]

you're missing the point, its a 20 ton scout, a jenner is 35. If you played the old FASA games you would understand that saving 15 tons for a scout meant your heavy mechs were much more powerful or could have more mechs overall in a 200 ton game limit.

I would rather have a 20 ton scout, 2- 50's and an 80, then a 35 tone, 2-50's and a 65 any day.

[wendigo211]

I give it a medium laser and 3 small lasers, and then put some more points in armor. It's not bad when you're starting out. It has more armor than the Spider and a better weapon loadout for a relatively short mech bay stay. Obviously you're going to want to replace it with something better fast, but when you are dealing with your starter lance its useful.

[Mentally Unstable]

8 jumpjets meaning the furthest jump range out of any......handy for bunny hopping about tickling enemies with its 2 MLAS..........until it meets its untimely demise from LRM spam.

[DEADPOO]

Originally posted by Nekonoaijin:

"Twenty tons of death! Probably yours, if you have to pilot it."

Perfect demotivation slogan for the locust!

[Mentally Unstable]

Originally posted by Bunks:

you're missing the point, its a 20 ton scout, a jenner is 35. If you played the old FASA games you would understand that saving 15 tons for a scout meant your heavy mechs were much more powerful or could have more mechs overall in a 200 ton game limit.

I would rather have a 20 ton scout, 2- 50's and an 80, then a 35 tone, 2-50's and a 65 any day.

You have a point, thing is this game dosen't have tonnage restrictions. As such, others (especially those who never played TT or older BT games) don't see it from your POV.

[Deckire]

I had to use it because of the Spider got totalled, and I liked that it had more weapons then just 2 medium lasers like the Spider. I was able to make a good use of it for some time. I t was a great Evassion tank when I used it, I ussually used it to distract light tanks in early game.

Once I done a few missions I got myself hands on a Commando, and while it wasn't the first Light I sold off, I wasn't until I got myself a Dragon that I sold it to get some space on my Mechbays.

[Nuee]

Out of the box, the spider makes for a better scout due to the jump jets which you would have to add to that locust. The only thing I have found it good for is scouting w/sensor lock.

Other than that, Fine you can try to do a side or back melee hit on something that has a good bit of damage on it already or to help dump a nearly unstabilized mech on its back.

[kaibarnard]

Originally posted by Bunks:

you're missing the point, its a 20 ton scout, a jenner is 35. If you played the old FASA games you would understand that saving 15 tons for a scout meant your heavy mechs were much more powerful or could have more mechs overall in a 200 ton game limit.

I would rather have a 20 ton scout, 2- 50's and an 80, then a 35 tone, 2-50's and a 65 any day.

Ok in a tonne limited game - you have a point - in this game....less so, even in skirmish I'd take anything over this

[SamtheCossack]

Originally posted by (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻):

8 jumpjets meaning the furthest jump range out of any......handy for bunny hopping about tickling enemies with its 2 MLAS..........until it meets its untimely demise from LRM spam.

You are thinking of a spider. Thread is about the locust. Which don't have JJ normally.